Five Things that Will Make Your Much Happier
Look at the picture.
Read the questions. Think about the topic.
Pre-Reading Questions
What things make people happy? Make your own list and share with your partner. What do you think experts say on the topic of happiness?
Are their ideas good to follow? Why or why not?
What do you predict the “five things” will be?
Read and Pronounce
Read the following excerpt with your partner. He or She will listen and help with pronunciation.
There’s enough advice on happiness floating around out there to make your head spin. Yet, this is understandable, as everyone is different. What makes one person happy might make another miserable.
strategies on the brain. His findings have a lot to teach us about what actually works when it comes to boosting happiness.
Korb’s research demonstrated that your thoughts—and the emotions you feel in response to those thoughts—have a profound impact on surprising areas of your brain.
ReadtSmart.com
Author: Dr. Travis Bradberry
Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.
Share your Opinions
Do you agree or disagree with the author’s “five things” for happiness (below)? Why or why not?
Discuss with your partner.
1. Gratitude creates happiness.
2. Labeling negative feelings dilutes their power.
3. Making decisions feels good.
4. It helps you to lend a hand.
5. Our brains are wired for touch.
What are your tips for happiness?
Talk with your tutor about this topic.
Use the expressions and vocabulary you learned.
Use the related resources below to learn more.
More Practice
Look at the vocabulary words below.
Some just refer to parts of the brain or chemicals in your body. They are not so common.
Focus on the more common words at the bottom of the list.
Read them aloud for pronunciation.
Have you seen them before?
What do you think they mean?
Discuss them with your partner, and try to use them in sentences.
Parts of the brain / body
prefrontal cortex dorsolateral ventromedial amygdala limbic system anterior cigulate insula
Hormones and chemicals
serotonin dopamine oxytocin
Other Vocabulary
antidepressant boost(ing) dilute(s) exclusion float(ing) around guilt hardwired heap loop
miserable mood neuroscience ramp(s) up succinct succumb spin spiral spontaneous